BioOrbit Raises £9.8M For In-Orbit Manufacturing of Cancer Therapies

BioOrbit Raises £9.8M (~$13.3M) Seed Round to Advance In-Orbit Manufacturing of Cancer Therapies

London-based BioOrbit has raised £9.8 million in seed funding to accelerate its vision of manufacturing cancer drugs in space, leveraging microgravity to improve how treatments are delivered to patients.

The round was co-led by LocalGlobe and BREEGA, with participation from Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, Seedcamp, Type One Ventures, 7percent Ventures, and a group of angel investors.

Founded in 2023, BioOrbit is focused on using microgravity to reformulate existing drugs, particularly anti-cancer antibodies, into more accessible formats, such as self-administered treatments.

Rather than discovering new drugs, the company aims to enhance already approved therapies, reducing the need for clinical administration and expanding patient access.

At the core of BioOrbit’s approach is BOX, a compact, autonomous manufacturing unit designed to operate in orbit. Roughly the size of a microwave, the system enables the crystallization of drugs in microgravity conditions, either aboard reentry vehicles or commercial space stations.

The company has already demonstrated the technology in space, having launched its first BOX unit aboard Nyx spacecraft developed by The Exploration Company.

The new funding will support BioOrbit’s transition from early demonstrations to scaled production, alongside expansion into the U.S. market. The company is establishing an East Coast presence and has brought on industry veterans from Redwire to drive commercial partnerships with major pharmaceutical firms.

Leadership additions include Molly K. Mulligan, PhD as president and Ken Savin as chief science officer, bringing deep experience across in-orbit manufacturing and pharmaceutical R&D.

BioOrbit plans to increase its flight cadence, targeting additional missions this year and up to two launches in 2027.

Image Credits: BioOrbit